Going for the Goal
October 30, 2009 by Coach Tia
Filed under FitMommies, News
Last month, I told you about one of four rules my friend Ana and I agreed upon as she sets out to become more fit. They are definitely four rules we all should live by as we work to improve our health. I also promised to come back and discuss the other three rules in more detail.
So let’s go back to Rule No. 1: Set reasonable and measurable goals.
Here are some examples of common goals you may hear:
-I want to lose weight
-I want to feel better
-I want to run a marathon.
All of these lack the specifics that are needed to keep you accountable and, therefore, keep you on track to actually attain them. Remember, goals should be reasonable, which means they will push you beyond your limits but also have a possibility of achievement.
Goals also have to be measurable with a specific endpoint and a specific timeframe. It’s a good idea to tie them to an event or date that has some meaning. That is why so many people find success getting in shape before their wedding or a vacation.
Now let’s update our examples above.
Before: I want to lose weight.
After: I want to lose 10 pounds by my 20th high school reunion in three months.
Before: I want to feel better.
After: In one year’s time, I want to lower my blood pressure and cholesterol levels and work out for at least 30 minutes at least three times a week.
Before: I want to run a marathon.
After: I want to participate in and finish the 26.2 with Donna Breast Cancer Marathon in February 2010.
Setting your goal is the first step. With an end result in mind, you can begin coming up with that weight loss or nutritional plan or begin outlining your marathon-training regime to ensure success.
Remember to follow me on twitter @coachtia or send me an e-mail. Let me know what your new specific and measurable fitness goal is!
I am glad I read your blog in regards to setting specific goals. I have found myself falling into the cliche’ of stating a goal without a specific ending point in mind.
My goal for the month of November is to lose 5 pounds by December 1. This goal is significant b/c of the holiday season. For years I have used the excuse of Thanksgiving being a time to let myself go. Not this year, friday after eating a big dinner, I will definitely be in the gym or pounding the pavement for @ least 1.5 miles.
Thanks for helping me refocus.
Jessie
Beaumont, Texas
Jessie, I am so glad to see this posting helped you better define your goals. I think you will find that being more specific makes you much better at reaching your end result. Good luck and feel free to send me any questions or topics you want to discuss in future blogs.
Now I am motivated!
After this year’s meal I am committed to taking a brisk 30min walk. Dragging my family behind.
I have said it! Consider it done!
Maybe we can challenge all the Noir Mommies to take a 30 min walk after this year’s Thanksgiving meal!?!
Thank You Jesse and Coach Tia!
Does swinging our arms while walking make a difference in our heart rate?
So, NoirMom1,
Your question got my journalistic juices flowing. After poking around the internet, my answer is swinging your arms probably doesn’t make as much of a difference in your heart rate as much as just picking up the pace generally would. Adding some hills, ankle or hand weights also do the trick.
As an aside, I learned in my research that swinging our arms by walking comes more naturally than not. So your body actually exerts more energy if you tried to stop your arms from swinging. Here is a link to an article that I found interesting: http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=swinging-arms-save-energy-09-08-03